Thursday, January 15, 2015

We got a lovely soft-voiced gentle welcome on arrival at MacNean House, the base of Neven Maguire, Ireland's best known chef. We were at ease immediately and that feeling continued right through our pre-Christmas stay.

The house, along with the restaurant and adjoining cooking school, is situated in the small border town of Blacklion, County Cavan, just across the road from the Garda station and the tourist office.

Blacklion is also just across the bridge from its Fermanagh neighbour Belcoo. There was snow on the hills as we walked between the two small towns, crossing the border on the way. Lights were coming on in Belcoo, welcoming visitors from the republic with an 80 pence for one euro offer.

Granola with honey

It was fairly cold so we didn't stay out and about for too long and were soon back in our comfortable well equipped room preparing for that evening's dinner, a fabulous meal indeed. But breakfast is also quite an event and it is also served in the main dining room.

There is a very impressive display on the serve-yourself table and then you can also choose from the two page menu. There is a tempting selection of juices. Not just any old juices. The apple juice, for instance, comes from Con Traas in Tipperary, his Karmine apples featured.

A big choice of granola and muesli and breads of course plus fruit salads and a selection of McGeough’s cold meats along with cheeses. I started with juice and a Honey Granola.

Ireland's most famous porridge!

Then our order was taken at the table, for starter and mains! My starter was, had to be really, the famous MacNean Porridge with honey, cream and a wee drop of Irish Mist! That meant I missed out on the Poached Apricots and also the Warm Prunes.

On then to a magnificent mains menu that included MacNean Traditional breakfast and the MacNean Special breakfast, fairly similar to one another but with the the Special containing a few extras including boxty. Lots of choices too with the Scrambled Eggs, including plaice, smoked salmon and kippers. And they also had House-made Waffles.

Eggs Benedict

My pick though was the Eggs Benedict, served on a gorgeous toasted brioche, spinach, light butter sauce, with honey glazed ham (could also have had the eggs with smoked salmon). Hadn't finished dinner that long before but still managed to clean the plate. Eggs were perfectly executed and went well with the flavours and texture of the ham. That really set me up for the day at the cooking school!

Later, as part of our Cookery Course, we got a tour of the kitchen. A big pot of mulled wine was bubbling away and we also got a look at a very impressive, very large, stock pot. It was quiet enough about the two o'clock mark but would be much busier when the evening came and some fourteen chefs crowded in. Still, it all looks very well organised and that shows in the high standard of food that emerges. Chef Neven has some team there!See also: Neven's Cookery SchoolDinner from Neven's kitchen.

A big stock pot is shown on the right hand pic. In the other photo, the pastry chefs are hard at it,
while pots of mulled wine bubble on the left.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

It might sound strange but Neven Maguire reminds me of Christy Ring. At least in his approach to his cookery school students. He takes it step by step, building confidence from the start and lots of discreet back-up along the way.

I remember “Ringy”, back in the day, teaching a few of us to take a sideline cut. He just didn't throw the sliotar down and order you to strike. No, he found a high sod and placed it there and, if you made a half decent connection, you hit a good sideline ball. “Hey, I can do it!” After that confidence boost, the rest came with practice.

Christy displayed the technique and dispensed good advice as did Neven in MacNean House last Saturday.

Presentation is important but getting the flavours right is even more so.

That was an early nugget from Ireland's favourite chef during our one day Christmas Cookery Course with him, in his own Cookery School in Blacklion (County Cavan). It used to be a hairdressers but there’s a different kind of style now on display here, right next door to Neven's restaurant MacNean House.

Prawn starter

The school has been open for twelve months. “It has been a great year,” said Neven. “A great year for me and a great year for my team. We are booked up every week from now until next June. But the Chef’s Table, a new venture of ours, is not too well known yet and that is not booked up.” The Chef’s Table (for 12 to 20 people) is situated here in the school and you’ll have Neven and his chefs cooking in front of you and serving you as well.

Neven always has great praise for his staff and many of them have been with him for years. His right hand people in the school are Olivia and Clare. “They keep it immaculate.” Looking back at the year, Neven said it was a great one for him personally as he was voted Best Chef in Ireland and his new book Fast was voted best cookbook in Ireland.

As he took the varied group of students through the course, he was free with advice. He “ordered” everyone to buy a “plastic” wooden spoon, revealed that local Asian markets are “best for spices” and said that “broken walnuts are half the price of whole nuts”. Looking for vanilla, then try Vanilla Bazaar. For Thai products look up Thai Gold in Wexford.

But Christmas Made Easy was mostly about the cooking. Everything from Mulled Wine to the Turkey was covered. The full title of the turkey lesson was: Buttermilk Brined Roast Butterfly of Turkey with Orange and Rosemary.

Cheese board

We got to make a Citrus Harissa Butter for the Turkey Crown. You can get the Harissa paste in most areas nowadays but if not available try sun-dried tomato paste instead. The Butter can also be used on grilled steak, pork chop, roast chicken and grilled fish (like hake).

We did a Pine Nut, Cranberry and Apricot Stuffing. By the way, dried cranberries are “very good in soda bread”. The other big item during the busy morning was the ham. Neven and his team were taking care of the ham itself but we got to do the Glaze and the Pineapple Salsa. Again, the glaze can also be used with Pork Chops while the Salsa goes well with grilled prawns.

Speaking of prawns, we got to make our own starter for lunch, a Prawn Cocktail with the traditional Marie Rose Sauce. To tell the truth most of it was done for us but we certainly picked up tips and hints galore. Besides, it was quite a nice starter.

But the Turkey and Ham were just fantastic, so full of flavour and the turkey so moist. Lunch was followed by a Wine and Cheese Tasting conducted by Blaithin McCabe who has been here since 2007.

We started with La Contesse Spumante Prosecco and then a lightly oaked Potel Aviron Macon Villages 2011. The red was a Cotes du Rhone by Domaine Coste Chaude (2011) and then we enjoyed the Quinta do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port before sipping a MacNean Mulled Wine.

Perhaps the best match of the tasting for me was the Port and Cashel Blue cheese, made from cows milk. Also on the plate were Corleggy, a hard goats cheese from Cavan, Tipperary’s Cooleeney made from raw cows milk and Coolea (Cork) made from fresh cow milk.

Following an interesting tour of the kitchen, there were more lessons, including Chestnut, Wild Mushroom and Bacon Soup with Smoked Duck, Mulled Fruit Truffle, a Fruit Cocktail and Mulled Wine. Sadly though we had to hit the road earlier than most and missed the final session! Will have to go again in the future.

Monday, December 15, 2014

It’s about four hours and twenty minutes from our house in Cork to Neven Maguire’s MacNean Houseand restaurant in Blacklion. But it’s well worth the trip as we found out when we had dinner at the famous County Cavan venue last Friday night. And, yes, Neven was in the kitchen, as he regularly is!

Neven and his wife, Amelda, took inspiration for the new décor and recipes from extensive travel and research in London, Paris, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. The restaurant's menu reflects his continued advocacy of local and artisan producers and insistence on high quality, seasonal and traceable produce.

Crab

The dining room is bright, spacious and beautifully decorated. Colours are muted and you soon feel at ease in the comfortable chairs. Of course, the bar area is very comfortable as well and here you can have your aperitif, listen to the live music (a local trio last Friday) and study the menu. Not too much studying required though if you go for the Prestige Menu as this requires the participation of the whole table (there were six of us). And the only choice you need to make is between the beef and the local duck.

Needless to say, service was friendly and immaculate. The various dishes were well sized, the intervals between well judged and the wine pairings (optional) were excellent. These latter were chosen by Blaithin McCabe. Wouldn’t normally pick a Gamay but the one here could change that. Similarly, the Picpoul de Pinet is one of the best I’ve come across. And I was toasting Yalumba’s Jane Ferrari as I sipped the dessert wine.

Seared breast of Partridge

Don't want to bother you with too much detail about the meal. You can see the menu below for yourself. The Partridge was perhaps the highlight for me of the early dishes, perfection itself. CL was delighted with the Crab Cocktail and the Scallop.

Our hosts had very strongly recommended the Thornhill Duck Breast and it is a superb product and, after the intervention of Neven and his team in the kitchen, it becomes a superb dish. Yes indeed, very highly recommended with both of us in full and enthusiastic agreement!

Ryefield cheese

Neven’s commitment to local producers is underlined throughout his menus. Ryefield Goat Cheese, from County Cavan, was featured on the cheese course. The highlight towards the end is, of course, the Chocolate Sensation. This has quite a visual impact as the perfect sphere of dark chocolate collapses seconds after the sauce is poured on from a wee jug! Tastes good though, very good indeed!

Truffles

Aside from the Prestige Menu (€87), MacNean’s also serve a Dinner Menu (72) and Sunday Lunch (39). A relatively new addition that you may not know about is the The Chef’s Table. This is next door in the Cookery School and will accommodate between 10 and 20 guests. Neven and his dedicated team will cook and serve your meal in full view of your guests.

Dining room

You know of course that Neven has quite a few cookbooks to his name, including the most recent called Fast. But you can also see some of his recipes online here.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Speaking at the launch were (clockwise from top left)
David Rice, Lord Mayor Alan Coleman,
Des McGahan and Ross Lewis.

Ross Lewis, the Cork-born Michelin star winning chef and co-owner of Dublin restaurant Chapter One, spoke of his early visits to Kinsale as he launched the spanking new Kinsale Gourmet Academy at Ballinacurra House on Tuesday.

“Kinsale was the only place where you could get coffee in 1978. That was in the Blue Haven, on Saturdays and Sundays only. And it was a bonus if you got a scone, left over from Saturday!”

Ross has a great admiration for the area and especially for Martin Shanahan of Fishy Fishy. At the Chef’s Table in Chapter One, they often have US visitors and these visitors were regularly asked if they were visiting Kinsale. And the usual answer was: Yes, we are going to Fishy, Fishy. Now Ross asks the visitors if they will visit Kinsale, after visiting Fishy Fishy.

Ballinacurra Head Chef David Rice heads up the new purpose built and very well equipped academy. David “missed medicine by about 600 points” and started his culinary career washing potatoes (with an occasional promotion to making sandwiches) in the Blue Haven.

Limerick man David eventually worked under Ross at Chapter One. “What that man taught me. Unbelievable!” He obviously taught David a respect for the country’s artisan producers and the Kinsale academy will showcase their work.

The sea featured in both demo dishes

“There will be a variety of courses, including one day, two day, and five day courses, that will be both for learning and relaxing! Next year, we intend to set up a professional course of a much longer duration. I really appreciate this evening’s turnout.”

Cork County Mayor Alan Coleman and owner Des McGahan also spoke at the well-attended launch, both with great humour and that trend continued when Ross and David took the mike. And indeed, it was a feature throughout the cookery demonstration that the pair undertook in the academy itself.

It was a lovely evening in a magical place. Some beautiful canapes and later there were pizzas from the brick oven and cocktails from the newly opened Cuban Bar. The Cuban Cocktail Lounge has authentic paraphernalia and original objects de art items sourced directly from Cuba. It’s the perfect Rum Shack for Havana Club based Mojitos, Cuba Libras, Daiquiris and more.

A large focus for the Academy will be building on Ballinacurra’s reputation for catering for private groups and corporates. Owners Des and Lisa McGahan will work with them to design a bespoke course to suit their needs and objectives, level of capability, and so forth. It will include a teambuilding element, adding in meeting time or other activities.

Individuals will also be able to book into scheduled courses which will range in duration from a half day upwards. Classes will be kept small to ensure the students receive the best quality and one-to one tutoring possible. The Academy has been purpose built with the students in mind, 8 double workstations where 16 students can work hands-on. There is also an instructors island with the top-of-the-range induction hob for demonstrations.

Ross and David show it's done!

"Ballinacurra House and Kinsale have become synonymous with fabulous food for many years.

The new Gourmet Academy will further strengthen Kinsale’s reputation as the ‘culinary’ capital’. It was one the key factors missing in Kinsale’s bid as ‘Foodie Capital of Ireland’ and we feel it’s the final piece of the jigsaw which will further add to the prestige of the town,” said Des.

Ballinacurra House, in a rural area on the edge of the town, is set within a walled garden with 10 foot-high stone walls, security gates and 40 acres of woodland and lawns. This elegant country mansion brings back old-world opulence and personal service in a unique and totally private environment. “Our exclusive-use estate allows you the opportunity to share your experiences or special occasion with friends, family or peers in magical ambient surrounds, without compromise.” If you have a corporate event or a family event coming up, why not check it all out here.

Just about two weeks earlier, I had attended the opening, by Neven Maguire, of the Dingle Cookery School. This is another magnificent facility with a team of excellent chefs in charge of a large range of courses, everything from a half day Catch and Cook course to a four week evening course on Ethnic Cookery. And they also have a couple of Pop-Up Restaurant nights scheduled, including one for Halloween.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

I'm very much a people's person
First boy in school to do home economics
Porridge, with honey, cream and Irish Whiskey, is the most popular dish in the restaurant
Food and GIY go hand in hand
Modern Irish now? Local seasonal ingredients in different combinations with different techniques...not a mish mash....balance...I like to add Asian influences...don't over-complicate it...
Stars not a priority. Happy with Michelin tyres on my car...stars can be a double edged sword.
Look after your key people....respect!

Neven, a terrific supporter of Irish produce (not to mention a host of good causes), is rightly proud of what he has done in that small village of Blacklion in Cavan. He isn't finished yet. Far from it. Next step is to set up a cookery school.Well done Neven. We are proud to have you. Enjoy your day off today!